Chapter 227



When Lucas heard this, his face clouded, and he responded coldly, “Must I always inform you of my whereabouts?”

Belinda felt a sharp sting in her throat, leaving her momentarily speechless. After a pause, Lucas added, his tone frosty, “There’s nothing for us to talk about.” He then ended the call abruptly.

Belinda stared at her phone, the screen now dark. A whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind. What had caused Lucas’ sudden change in demeanor? Had she angered him somehow? This was utterly confusing. If he didn’t want to come home, then so be it; he could stay away forever.

Angered, Belinda silenced her phone, set it on the nightstand, switched off the lamp, and tried to sleep. However, she tossed and turned for what felt like hours, unable to fall asleep. By three in the morning, Lucas had still not returned. Belinda bit her lip, fighting the urge to dial his number again, but forced herself to try to sleep.

Eventually, she drifted off, though she couldn’t recall at what time. When her alarm sounded the next morning, she noticed the untouched state of Lucas’ bed across the room. He hadn’t come home at all, or at least, not to their room. A wave of irritation washed over her as she took a deep breath.

Belinda quickly freshened up in the bathroom and left the house to go to the hospital.

In the VIP ward of Grand Plains General Hospital, Verena’s eyes fluttered open, and she was surprised to find Lucas sleeping on the sofa. However, that surprise quickly turned to joy as she took in the sight of him.

“Lucas,” she called softly.

Lucas stirred and quickly woke up. He stood and walked over to her bed, taking a seat beside it. His voice sounded slightly rough and sleepy as he asked, “How are you feeling now? Are you still experiencing any discomfort?”

“No, I’m feeling fine,” Verena replied, shaking her head gently.

Lucas nodded, his tone calm. “Stay here for another day for observation. If everything goes well, you can be discharged tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Verena responded, her gaze earnest as she looked up at him. She sighed softly and added, “It would be wonderful to wake up to your face every morning.”

Lucas remained silent, his expression unchanged.

After a moment, Verena spoke again. “Lucas, were you here all night yesterday?”

Instead of answering her question, Lucas spoke firmly, “Don’t overindulge in drinking again.”

Verena lowered her gaze slowly, silent at his gentle but serious warning.

Lucas watched her closely, his tone soft yet serious as he added, “I made a promise to you, and I’ll stick to it.”

His words carried weight, both for Verena and for himself.

Verena’s face brightened instantly, her eyes shimmering with joy as tears welled up. “Lucas, your words make all my waiting worthwhile,” she said, her voice filled with emotion.

But, unbeknownst to her, her words weighed heavily on Lucas, constricting his chest.

“I need to leave now,” he said, standing up and avoiding her gaze. “You should get some rest.”

“Alright,” Verena said softly, “but you need to rest as well.”

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